Please find the invitation below to attend a public consultation re: the Options Paper just released from the Commissioners reviewing our Social Assistance System in Ontario. One concern is that given the direction of the paper, that we may not see adequacy of rates being addressed in the final recommendations they make in the final report to the Ontario government in June. Please do review the paper (link below) and join us on March 7th as the Human Services Planning Board hosts this community consultation.

The Commissioners have been invited to attend and have not sent a final confirmation. Nonetheless, this consultation with the community, service providers and community based groups can yield important feedback on the review thus far that will be compiled and provided to the Commission as part of their overall review of the system (both OW and ODSP) in Ontario.

Please RSVP as noted below and if you are able to attend and assist by taking notes in a small group or leading the discussion in a small group please reply to me. We are looking for about 8 individuals to help out in this way.

Today, Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and his provincial and territorial counterparts responsible for international trade met at their annual meeting in Ottawa to discuss Canada’s international trade agenda.

They agreed to be collaborative and proactive regarding gaining world markets, particularly increased access to the European Union market in the following manner:

Congratulations to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for the acquisition of the following two islands totalling 115 acres (46 hectares) in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, for conservation purposes:

Caledon Institute of Social Policy: "Old Age Insecurity?" - Insights For Canadians

Regarding the controversy over raising the age of entitlement for Old Age Security from 65 to 67 for Canadians, the Caledon Institute of Social Policy provides us with valuable insights on:

the future of Canada’s Old Age Security program

the negative effects on low-income seniors

positive compensatory changes to benefit poor seniors aged 65 and 66 in the case that the federal government increases the entitlement age from 65 to 67

lowering the clawback on the basic Old Age Security pension produces various effects on the elderly poor, better-off seniors as well as the middle-income seniors who are part of the majority of seniors with low or average incomes

In order for Canada to help both poor and low-income seniors to benefit in the near future, positive and beneficial changes are required for the Old Age Security program as explained in the following Announcements of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy:

The front of the Diamond Jubilee Medal above portrays a contemporary effigy of The Queen wearing the Royal Crown. The reverse of the medal includes stylized maple leaves and the years 1952 and 2012, denoting 60 years of Her Majesty's reign as Queen of Canada.

Statement By Ontario Premier McGuinty On Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee is given here:

Ontarians will join the celebration of Her Majesty’s lifetime of service when The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall come to Ontario this May. It will be the highlight of Ontario’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Nominations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal is now open:

The medal will be awarded to those Ontarians who have shared their time and talents with their communities.